Fill-leveling and overload-removing device



Jan. 10, 1939. ca. R. STUART FILL-LEVELING AND OVERLOAD-REMOVING DEVICEOriginal Filed June 9, 1957 INVENTSfiI George H.5Tuar1' ATTORN EYS.

Patented Jan. 10, 1939 FILL-LEVELING AND OVERLOAD-REMOVIN G DEVICEGeorge R. Stuart, Knoxville, Tenn.

Qriginal application June 9, 1937, Serial No.

147,342. Divided and thisapplication November 22, 1937, Serial :No.175,966

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in filling and closing portablereceptacles and more particularly to an improved device for leveling thefilled material in a receptacle, and removing any overload therefrom,prior to capping of the receptacle.

Ifhe subject matter of the present invention forms a division of myco-pending application .Serial Number 147,342, filed June 9, 1937.

An importantobject of the invention is to provide an improvedfill-leveling and overload-removing device operable by a rotary orspinning motion.

Another object is to provide a device which will level the fill andremove any overload beyond a plane within and parallel to the circularmouth end of a container.

A further object is the provision of a filllevel ing andoverload-removing spinnerhaving an improved housing so formed as tofacilitate manual positioning of a container in correct co-operativerelation to the spinner.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedspinner having a housing which is formed as to confine the overload orsurplus material against escape other than in a downward directionwhereby to permit operation of the spinner at a high rate of speedwithout promiscuous scattering of the surplus material.

Still another object is to provide an improved device as described whichis relatively simple, safe and sanitary.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in whichdrawing:-

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the improved fill-levelingand overload-removing device.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the de vice, and showing themanner of manually positioning a filled container in cooperativerelation to the device.

In the drawing, which for the purpose of illustration shows a preferredembodiment of the invention, and wherein similar reference charactersdenote corresponding parts throughout the views, the letter A maygenerally designate the improved device for leveling the fill andremoving the overload from a suitable circular container B.

The device A may include a shaft Hi having reduced ends II and it, whichmay be provided with right and left-hand threads respectively.Intermediate its ends, the shaft may be rotatably supported, as :byspaced-apart bearings l3, on opposite sides of a suitable pulley l4,fixed to the shaft, as by a set screw l5, and connected, as by a beltIt, to any suitable source of power, such as an :electric motor (notshown). opposite ends H, 12 of the shaft H), as by 00- axial right-handand left-hand; iternally threaded bosses l1, l8 respectively, andprojecting from the inner end faces H) are cylindrical disc-likespinners 20, M provided at their outer end faces 22 with inwardlyconvergent frusto-conical annular rims 23 terminating in annular seats24 against which the circular mouth ends of containers, such as thecontainer B shown in Figure 2, may be positioned. Each spinner isprovided with a radially disposed cutting and leveling blade 25positioned between the annular seat 24 and the axis of the spinner, andprojecting obliquely outwardly from the plane of the annular seat 24withits 'free end forming a cutting edge 26 facing in the direction ofrotation of the spinner. Turning of the shaft ll! in a given directionwill, of course, rotate one spinner 20 in a counter-clockwise directionand the other spinner 2| in a clockwise direction. Adjacent the leadingside of each blade 25 is a-slot 2'! extending thru-the spinner andforming an outlet passageway therethrough for conducting excess materialfrom the container B to the inner end face IQ of the spinner. The slot21 may terminate at its inner end in an oblique surface j 28 extendingfrom the axis of the cylindrical member at its juncture with the boss,and which may be formed by obliquely cutting away a portion of the bossadjacent the cylindrical member.

Over each spinner is secured, as by cap screws 29, a housing 3% providedwith an inwardly convergent frusto-conical annular recess wall 31terminating in an aperture 32 encircling the spinner adjacent its outerend face. Each housing may also be provided with a suitable opening 33for accommodating the shaft l0. While each housing at its upper endportion 36 may comprise a cylindrical portion .35 and a frusto-conicalportion 36, the lower end of .the housing preferablydepends to form achute-like skirt 3'! having an opening 38 in its base through whichexcess material 39 may fall into a suitable container 40 therebeneath.

In the operation of the improved device, containers, such as thecontainer B, after being filled by any suitable means (not shown) may bemanually positioned one by one with their circular mouths in contactwith the annular seats 24 of the spinners 20, 2|, the blades 25 of whichwill thereupon extend radially within the mouths Secured at of thecontainers and will remove any excess material 39 beyond thepredetermined level of fill within and parallel to the circular mouthends of the containers. The excess material positioned in advance of theobliquely disposed blades will pass thru the slots 21 to the inner faces[9 of the spinners and will fall thru the openings 38 of the skirts 31into the container 4!]. As two spinners are provided, one at each end ofthe shaft l0, two operators may be employed, if desired, each at anopposite end of the device. The cone-like surfaces of the rim 23 andrecess wall 3! will tend to center the containers with respect to theannular seats 24, thereby facilitating the manual positioning of thecontainers in cooperative relationship to the device. As the blades 25are positioned well within the outer limits of the spinners and spinnerhousings, the device may be safely operated at a high rate of speed, andthe housing will direct the overload or surplus material downwardly soas to counteract any tendency of the surplus material to fly from thespinners under the influence of centrifugal force.

Various changes may be made to the form of invention herein shown anddescribed, without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a device for leveling material 'in a container and removing anyexcess material therefrom, a rotatable shaft, a cylindrical memberhaving one end face co-axially secured to an end of the shaft andprovided at its opposite end face with an annular marginal seat, againstwhich the container may be positioned, a blade carried by said oppositeend face inwardly of said seat, and projecting from said opposite endface so as to extend into the container positioned against said seat,for cutting away excess material in the container, said cylindricalmember being provided with a slot extending inwardly from the .marginalseat to the axis of said cylindrical member and forming an outletpassageway through the cylindrical member for removing excess materialfrom the container as it is cut away by said blade.

2. In a device for leveling material in a container and removing anyexcess material therefrom, a rotatable disc provided with an annularmarginal seat against which the container may be positioned, a radiallydisposed blade carried by the disc inwardly of said seat and projectingfrom the disc so as to extend into the container positioned against saidseat, for leveling the material in the container and cutting away anyexcess material, and a radial slot in the disc adjacent the bladeforming an outlet passageway through the disc for said excess material.

3.. In a device for leveling material in a container and removing anyexcess material therefrom, a rotatable perforated disc carrying amaterial-leveling blade and provided with an annular marginal seat,against which the container may be positioned, and a housing for saiddisc having an inwardly convergent conical seat terminating in a.circular aperture bounding the seat of said disc, for guiding saidcontainer into contacting relation with said seat of said disc.

4. In a device for leveling the fill within and removing any overloadfrom a container having a circular mouth and, a cylindrical membermounted for axial rotation and provided at one end with an axialfrusto-conical recess relatively wider at its mouth than the mouth endof the container and converging at its inner end whereby to form a seatagainst which the mouth end of the container may be positioned, and ablade carried by the cylindrical member within the recess and extendingradially of the mouth end of the container when the container ispositioned against the seat.

5. In a device for leveling the fill within and removing any overloadfrom a container having a circular mouth end, a cylindrical membermounted for axial rotation in a gien direction and provided at one endwith an axial frustoconical recess relatively wider at its mouth thanthe mouth end of the container and converging at its inner end wherebyto form a seat against which the mouth end of the container may bepositioned, and a blade carried by the cylindrical member within therecess, said blade having an edge leading in said given direction andextending radially of the mouth end of the container when the containeris positioned against the seat, said cylindrical member being providedwith an outlet leading from a zone of the recess adjacent that portionof the blade facing in said given direction.

6. In a device for leveling the fill within and removing any overloadfrom a container having a circular mouth end, a cylindrical membermounted for axial rotation and provided at one end with an axialfrusto-conical recess relatively wider at its mouth than the month endof the container and converging at its inner end whereby to form acircular seat against which the mouth end of the container may bepositioned, fill leveling and overload removing means carried by thecylindrical member intramarginally of the circular seat, and a housingfor the cylindrical member provided with a circular opening co-axialwith and bounding the month of said frustoconical recess of thecylindrical member.

7. In a device for leveling the fill within and removing any overloadfrom a container having a circular mouth end, a circular member mountedfor rotation about its axis and provided with a circular seat againstwhich the mouth end of the container may be positioned, a blade carriedby the circular member intramarginally of the seat, and a housing forthe circular member provided with a frusto-conical recess co-axial withthe circular member and relatively wider at its mouth than the mouth endof the container and converging at its inner end whereby to guide themouth end of the container towards said seat.

GEORGE R. STUART.

